A HISTORICAL LOOK AT ENERGY GEOPOLITICS – PART 3

27/11/2016

(Energy Geopolitics between 1914-1945)The basic cause of the First World War which caused great disasters and turned the world upside down between 1914 and 1918 was the competition between Britain and Germany over access to Middle Eastern energy resources. During the First World War, the oil firms of the period took on crucial roles. Toluene, which was used in the production of dynamite at the time was derived from coal. Shell developed this technology, enabling toluene to be derived from oil. The firm also supported the move of TNT production facilities in Rotterdam to Britain.The demand for oil rose rapidly between 1915 and 1917 due to the war. During this period, the most important oil supplier for European countries was the USA. The direct involvement of the USA in the First World War was a result of German attacks on US oil tankers headed for the British and the French. The USA suffered significant economic losses as a result of these maritime attacks and started directly meeting the oil demand of its allies. To ensure cooperation in the matter the Allied Petroleum Council was established. In order to ensure coordination between the US government and American oil firms after the USA’s direct involvement in the war, the Fuel Authority was founded. In 1917-1918 the Fuel Authority, the US administration and all oil firms, especially the New Jersey wing of Standard Oil worked in coordination. Through this cooperation the ice formed between the US administration and oil firms during the anti-trust cases of the 1900s thawed and strategically unshakeable relations were established. Dr. Cenk SevimYou can read the rest of the article on our issue of October